Old Marysville marina to be sold

MARYSVILLE — Many people don’t even know it’s there, and now its future is uncertain.

The Geddes Marina, tucked away next to Ebey Slough between Highway 529 and I-5, has been used to moor boats since the late 1800s and as a full-fledged marina since 1947, owner Ed Geddes said.

Now it’s being sold to the city of Marysville.

The oldest of the rustic boathouses and working spaces dates back to the late 1930s.

“There’s a profound and wonderful history here,” said Catherine “Cat” Clark, a Seattle attorney hired by Geddes and his wife, Susan.

The Geddeses sued Marysville in 2006 over water running into the marina from city storm drains. The lawsuit has sat unresolved since then. This past March, the two sides mutually agreed to settle the dispute by selling the marina to the city, Clark said.

“It took months to sit down and hammer out something that works for everybody,” she said.

The deal hasn’t closed yet, so neither side is discussing the price. Clark believes the deal is a fair one for both sides. It’s hoped the deal will be final by mid-July.

City officials aren’t sure what they will do with the five-acre property after the sale, city administrator Gloria Hirashima said.

None of the nearly 50 tenants will be required to leave before the end of October. Beyond that, Hirashima said, it’s uncertain. Three people live aboard their boats on the property.

The city eventually would like to see the Ebey Slough waterfront redevelop with trails, apartments or condominiums and some commercial development as part of its long-term downtown makeover plan. The marina, on a little arm of the slough at 1326 First St., is next to Ebey Waterfront Park.

How the marina property figures into the plan is unknown, Hirashima said.

“We really haven’t made a decision at this point,” she said.

The marina hardly fits a typical model of contemporary redevelopment. Many of the buildings are old and decaying.

“A lot of people like the way it looks,” Susan Geddes said. “It’s rustic. We like it. We are kind of isolated here.”

The buildings are still functional, Ed Geddes said. “Some of them are certainly due to be replaced,” he said, noting that new buildings would be subject to rules much different from those in place — or not — when most of the current ones went up.

A lumber mill stood on the property in the early 1900s, Geddes said, displaying a photograph from that era. Boats were moored alongside commercial operations on the property for many years, he said.

Bill Geddes, Ed’s father, began working on boats on the property in the 1930s and bought it in 1938, Ed Geddes said. By 1947, the last of the lumber mills had closed.

Until about 1951, the family maintained a home at what is now the entrance to the park. Ed Geddes, now 69, said when he was a boy the moorage rate for boats was 10 cents per foot per month.

“My father used that because it was a nice round number and easy to figure,” he said. Now it’s $6 per foot per month.

Geddes said two buildings on the property were burned down in 1992 by serial arsonist Paul Keller, who is serving a 75-year sentence in prison for arson and a 99-year sentence for three deaths in a fire in Seattle.

Bill Geddes ran the marina and a marine supply business on the property until his death at age 82 in 1998. Ed Geddes’ brother and sister ran the marina until Ed and Susan bought them out in 2000.

Beforehand, Geddes ran his own separate marine supply business in Marysville for many years. When he and his wife took over the marina, they sold the marine supply and repair business on the property.

At that time, there were 98 boats in the marina, close to its historical peak of about 100, he said. The number grew over the years from marina’s inception. Currently 46 boats, mostly pleasure craft, moor in the marina. Thirty of them are sheltered in boathouses.

The largest boats are in the 46- to 50-foot range. The boats can leave and return only at high tides through a gate near the slough.

Ed and Susan Geddes maintain an office in an old house on the property and live in Tulalip. Lately, they’ve been contemplating retirement anyway, they said. They’re not sure what they’ll do next.

The Geddeses informed their tenants of the pending sale in a recent letter. Some of them are upset about the situation, Clark said.

“It’s a big change,” Susan Geddes said. “We love our people.”

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439, sheets@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

x
$14.5M property tax levy lid lift moves forward in Edmonds

After a public hearing, the City Council voted 5-2 to place the resolution on next week’s consent agenda for final approval.

Mikki Burkholder, left, and Sean Seifert pull drafts Friday afternoon at 5 Rights Brewery in Marysville on October 8, 2021. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
5 Rights celebrates 10 years in Marysville

During a challenging time for the US craft beer industry, 5 Rights continues to enjoy growth and an uptick in sales.

Wine is illuminated on a large win rack at the center of the main room at Long Shadows Woodinville Tasting Room & Key Club Lounge on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 in Woodinville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Two winery restaurants in Woodinville stand out

You wouldn’t expect to get world-class pizza at a winery,… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.